Elton Brand, PF35 MIN | 8-15 FG | 3-3 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 19 PTS | -13The vet was more or less the only thing the Sixers had going in the first half, entering the break 7-of-10 from the floor with 15 points, 4 rebounds and a pair of rejections. And though he cooled from that point onward, he was still the closest thing to an MVP the Sixers had this afternoon.

Andre Iguodala, SF39 MIN | 3-11 FG | 5-6 FT | 6 REB | 5 AST | 11 PTS | -4Ughhh. It’s one thing to intellectually understand that Iguodala does a lot of helpful things on the basketball court besides score, and so it’s not fair or useful to judge him solely through that prism. It’s another to watch him shoot 3-of-11 from the floor and look tentative/incompetent on the offensive end in a playoff loss.

Jrue Holiday, PG36 MIN | 7-18 FG | 1-3 FT | 7 REB | 2 AST | 16 PTS | -25Jrue started off hot, hitting a 3-pointer in the first minute that gave the Sixers their only lead, but he forced things after that. I like that he seems to take it upon himself to create offense in big moments, that’s admirable, but I would also like it if he did so a bit more efficiently. 16 points on 18 shots, I hate to say, doesn’t help you win. In his defense, however, his defense on Rose was great.

Thaddeus Young, F25 MIN | 6-12 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 13 PTS | -2Thad had his midrange game going for a bit, but I’d like to see more from him in transition. A lot more.

Spencer Hawes, C15 MIN | 2-4 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 5 PTS | -3The Sixers prospects would be much improved if Spence could help out inside. The Bulls biggest area of advantage, both today and in the rest of the series, is inside. Off the top of my head, I can think of one guy who could do something about that.

Evan Turner, SG30 MIN | 4-9 FG | 4-5 FT | 3 REB | 5 AST | 12 PTS | -5The author of the “better matchup” line that got hung around the Sixers neck these last couple days delivered an uneven performance. I did, however, enjoy and respect the kerfuffles he got into with Noah, then Boozer, then Hamilton. He doesn’t back down from the big guys.

After the Jump, Six Things We Saw

Derrick Rose’s knee crumple. It’s still unclear what the story is with the only superstar in the series, but–at risk of playing armchair physician–it looked like the sort of injury guys miss lots of time for. Like seasons, to say nothing of playoff series. This, obviously, bears watching.

So where does the above leave the Sixers? They’ve already lost a game to the Bulls with CJ Watson behind the wheel of the offense, but a Chicago team sans D-Rose is certainly much better primed for an upset than one with the reigning MVP in the lineup.

As for the basketball portion of the game, Rose, after a 1-of-7 start from the floor, was great. he scored 23, and added nine each in the assist and rebound categories. It’s possible, if not likely, he would have notched a triple double were it not for the injury.

There was some scuttlebutt, in this space and other corners of the net, that the Sixers should have made a run at Rip Hamilton this offseason. If they didn’t regret passing on the Coatesville native before tonight, they do right now. Richard scored 19 points on seven shots and looked every bit the cool veteran hand he’s paid to be.

Noah was, per usual, awesome. He grabbed 13 rebounds, added 12 points, and stomped around the court eyeballing everybody. I don’t know if I hate him or love him–and that’s the truest mark of respect for an opponent.

At risk of repeating myself: Derrick Rose’s knee. That’s all that matters right now. And in a season of bad breaks, the one that happened in the point guard’s knee with 1;10 left on Saturday might be the luckiest the Sixers have had all season

I simply came away from the game wondering if Holiday and Hawes could start on any other team. Anywhere else they should be coming off the bench. I don’t feel they’re NBA starting calibre… but that’s all we have.

The derrick rose injury changes the entire eastern conference. It not only gives the sixers a fighting chance, but relying on the type of knee injury could determine if the heat will make the finals. Et showed some grit with thaat altercation with noah. Evan’s passing was also on display, but you are right when you say that we need more from the center spot, perhaps giving big nik some minutes and start ET over jodie for more scoring and length. All in all good analysis.